Pushing Through When Time Slows Down

By

Andrew LaVallee

April 3, 2013 9:54 p.m. ET

When light heavyweight Jake Butler squares off against his opponent Friday at One FC's "Kings & Champions" mixed martial-arts event in Singapore, those five-minute rounds may be some of the longest stretches of his life.

"The time goes a lot slower," says Mr. Butler, who grew up in New Jersey but relocated to Singapore when he gave up a career on Wall Street in favor of mixed martial arts, or MMA. "You've...